Business Essentials

A little doubt can be a good thing, but too much can stop growth and cripple your business. Coach and keynote speaker, Terry Barridge, says confidence comes from doing things you’re familiar with, but if you’re taken out of your comfort zone, do you lose all confidence? In a changing business environment, future leaders need to move out of their comfort zone more often and learn to handle their do...

The frontline of business is customer service. That's where we engage with customers and – hopefully – persuade people to buy.  But, why do some frontline staff fail? It comes down to a lack of empowerment, according to customer service expert, Michael Carrick. When people feel empowered, they're much better at helping others. When we take care of our own people, Michael insists, our people will t...

Don’t give up - do it regularly and consistently and you'll reap the benefits. Just like an exercise regimen, prospecting for clients can be daunting - particularly the cold-calling side. But prospecting is more than just cold-calling, and if done properly it can bring real benefits to your business. Ingrid Maynard knows - she’s had more than 25 years' experience in sales and she advises businesse...

A few years ago, Australian Rules football legend, Rodney Eade, changed his coaching boots for the corporate sector, offering businesses lessons in leadership, especially around the area of change. Rodney's venture is called Facing Change – a timely initiative as the world of business transforms as never before. Like team sport, he's found building a strong culture in the workplace helps bring the...

Mandy Holloway isn't a fan of your typical performance management appraisals which allow managers to hide behind a system. Instead, she says, managers should talk with their staff more often and in a meaningful way. Mandy outlines the seven types of conversations you should have with your team members on a regular basis to help motivate them and ultimately increase the business's performance. Busi...

Many "new" ideas already exist in some form or other — does yours bring something better to the market? Business Adviser and Author, Alan Hargreaves, has three rules to test a new idea for success: Is it needed? Does it work? Can it be done better? Alan insists if your idea provides more convenience for consumers, it might be a winner. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcar...

It’s a fine line: having the perseverance and grit to constantly manage a business, without succumbing to burnout. Andrew May, CEO of StriveStronger, recognises the challenge businesses face and says looking after your physical and psychological wellbeing is paramount to a healthy business. He says you shouldn’t ignore the signs that your body and mind might be suffering. Business Essentials Daily...

To be a better, more productive team member, don't get distracted and don't disrupt others around you. That’s advice from Dermot Crowley, author of ‘Smart Teams: How to work better together.’ Two disruptive patterns we all create at work are emails and meetings. Dermot asks, do you really need to copy someone on a message who doesn’t need it? And, must you always drag someone into a meeting who do...

Are you sick of not charging enough for what you do – but you don’t dare increase your prices for fear of customers leaving you in droves? Then sit back and listen to some salient advice from Australia’s number one business author, Andrew Griffiths. Enough’s enough, he’ll tell you. Be brave and take a leap into “expensive” territory. It’ll transform your business – and your life!   Business Essent...

If tyre kickers are tying up your time seeking quotes and proposals without coming through with the work – then it’s time to call them out. Preparing detailed proposals is a time-consuming part of any sales person’s job. There’s a substantial cost involved, says respected sales expert Sue Barrett, Director of Barrett Consulting Group, and you can’t afford to waste time if that client seldom or nev...

If your team isn’t performing as best as it should, perhaps the reason is you. The ingredients to building a successful team comes down to the boss’s accountability, ownership and leading by example. That’s according to Karen Gately, CEO of Corporate Dojo, who offers a six-step solution for leaders to effectively influence the success of their team. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundC...

What's your story? Every business has one, and it will help you better connect with potential customers by telling it. Sales expert Colin Pearce says storytelling works if you want to build brand value. Stories move people and they’re a wonderful way to create memorable experiences about your business which will build loyalty and keep your customers coming back. Business Essentials Daily is produc...

Writing down your goals is one thing, but following through on them is quite another. Entrepreneur Matthew Michalewicz has developed several technology companies in the US and Australia, his last achieving revenue from start-up to $20m in just 7 years. A much sought-after speaker and now co-founder and managing director of Complexica, Matthew shares his secrets to success in business and life. Bus...

Whether retirement is a long way off or just around the corner, it’s something you should always be planning for. But, retirement can be complex. You need to consider investment assets, tax implications, downsizing, superannuation and whether your money will last. Noel Whittaker, Australia’s most trusted finance writer, explains what you need to consider when investing in your future. Business Ess...

The labels marketers use to describe consumers no longer serve the purpose they used to. That’s according to customer engagement expert, Michael Solomon, whose book, ‘The New Chameleons’, outlines how consumers defy the categories in which businesses often put them. The world today has made our lives more complex and so too the job of the marketer. Michael says the first step is recognising that d...

Sales isn't just about turning up and relying on your instinct or other skills. Each customer is different with his or her own wants and needs, and you need to prepare for each one. Rachel Bourke of SalesSPACE says salespeople should go through checklists before even stepping into a sales meeting. Rachel's sales meeting preparation pack includes a personal checklist to ensure you look the part and...

Extensive research indicates that people who are optimistic are better business leaders – they’re more resilient, they innovate better, strategise better, and they even live longer. So, how do we become more optimistic? Victor Perton is founder of The Centre for Optimism and teaches organisations across the world how develop their optimistic competencies. It comes down to shifting your attention,...

How can you expect to please your customers when you’re determined to keep correcting them? It's easy to fall into the trap of being right, says professional speaker on customer service Martin Grunstein, but that's not what the customer is looking for from you. Martin has examples of sales staff correcting their customers, and of companies enforcing rules that could be pushing people away. Busines...

When Colleen Callander was CEO of Sportsgirl, she was burnt out: she’d been doing too much, saying yes to everything, and did nothing but work. These days she helps other women avoid burnout and achieve greater success in life and business. She’s Founder of Mentor Me, and has written a book with fellow business coach, Shannah Kennedy, titled ‘Elevate: unlock your extraordinary potential’. She disc...

Imagine setting yourself the challenge to run 250 km in the searing heat of outback Australia. What lessons would you learn about yourself and how could you apply them to your life and business? That’s what Kay Bretz set out to discover with his first ultramarathon – the Big Red Run in Birdsville – where he beat the race record by five hours. He’s since run multiple ultra-distances and was awarded...

Business plans are traditionally too expensive, they take too much time, they’re too rigid, and they’re not properly implemented. Roy Osing, former president of TELUS, advises on a strategic game plan with a rule of three: focus on the three things that will produce 80% of your results. Beware though of being diverted by what he calls the “yummy incoming”, the distractions that will pull you away...

How do you stand out from competitors? After all, it’s the ultimate goal – to differentiate your business in a way that builds engagement and brand loyalty. Well, sales and marketing guru Tom Poland may just have the answer with his marketing message formula. He says your message needs three elements to succeed: it must be benefit-rich, contain specifics and be differentiated. Business Essentials...

Research shows that more people are becoming disengaged with their work. Why is that? And as a boss, how do you motivate your own team to perform at their best? Performance and leadership coach, Dan Haesler, has worked closely with elite athletes and corporate leaders. His new book, ‘The Act of Leadership’ offers practical, techniques for leaders to get the most out of their people. Business Essen...

Retail is changing rapidly, with the more successful businesses heading, down an ‘omnichannel’ road. Retail expert and Hatch Brands CEO, Todd Foot, specialises in omnichannel marketing and discuses the evolution of combining online, and brick-and-mortar stores. He also highlights consumer advantages, like being able to browse online catalogues, check in-store stock availability, and access same-da...

If you were asked to nominate the qualities of the people you most admire, what would be top of the list? Storyteller and star-maker, Colin Pearce was curious to find out, and the results of a subsequent survey of three thousand Australians and New Zealanders astounded him. Reference: The Character Works Series by Colin Pearce   Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com...